Effects of Gender Stereotypes on Judgments of Career Tracks

Abstract

Occupational gender role stereotypes may impact how others evaluate the career choices of women and men. Women more so than men are employed in occupations that are viewed as communal. Men more so than women are employed in occupations that are viewed as agentic. In the first experiment, participants evaluated the career paths of male and female targets when the targets were considering a career change to a gender role congruent, incongruent, or gender role neutral career path. Female targets' career choices were evaluated more favorably in gender role congruent versus incongruent career tracks. Female targets' career choices were also evaluated more favorably in congruent career tracks than were male targets'. Male targets' career choices were evaluated equally across vignettes. In the second experiment, the framing of the career paths was manipulated as either communal or agentic. The framing had no effect on evaluations. Results largely replicated the first experiment. Female targets' career paths were evaluated more favorably when they were gender role congruent versus incongruent. Male targets' gender role incongruent career paths, however, were evaluated more favorably than congruent. In both experiments, explicit sexist attitudes did not affect evaluations. Others' judgments may affect women's participation in careers typically dominated by men. Others' judgments, however, may not affect men's participation in careers dominated by women, and may actually help men when they choose to pursue these career paths.

Subject Area

Social psychology

Recommended Citation

Frankowski, Scott David, "Effects of Gender Stereotypes on Judgments of Career Tracks" (2017). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI10742914.
https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI10742914